This is the marvellous screen version, based on a successful Broadway adaptation, of one of the most moving stories to emerge from the tragedy of the Second World War, about a Jewish girl forced to hide from the Nazis in occupied Amsterdam. It's beautifully directed by George Stevens in claustrophobic black-and-white CinemaScope, and superbly cast, with doe-eyed Millie Perkins near-perfect as Anne, the role that made Susan Strasberg a star on stage. Shelley Winters garnered a best supporting actress Oscar as Mrs Van Daan, and Academy Awards also rightly went to the camerawork and art direction. This film was seriously underrated on its release, and is by no means as well-known as it should be. An absolute must-see for children to help them understand about the war, and compulsively gripping for all despite its length.

The true, harrowing story of a young Jewish girl who, with her family and their friends, is forced into hiding in an attic in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam.